This picture was took by Esaka sensei at October 28th, 1968. Our school Cherry Hill Ken-yu Kai is a traditional Japanese swordsmanship school that is dedicated to the martial arts of Kendo and Iaido. Translated by Kazuyuki Takahashi(Sho-ken Kai) & Christian Rateliff Kono Hyakuren sensei It is a lifelong endeavor not lightly to be abandoned, and a pursuit that requires one’s complete dedication. Their aim should be to govern the self through the practice of techniques, thereby making possible the complete development of the mind.
Those who seek to learn the sword should pursue not the perfection of certain techniques, but rather a profound understanding of their origin. Seishinkan Iaido is recognised as an official shibu (regional branch) of the Dai Nippon Iaido Renmei (All Japan Iaido Federation) and is the only non-Japanese dojo recognised by the Renmei in this way. If the mind is untrue, the sword also will be untrue. Seishinkan Iaido currently has eight dojos in Japan, Australia, the United States of America, and Poland. If the mind is true, the sword will be true. This is a very quick draw of the sword, accomplished by simultaneously drawing the sword from the saya and also moving the saya back in. A very important part of iaido, is nukitsuke or the life of iaido. Most of the styles and schools do not practice tameshigiri, cutting techniques. I sincerely hope that those who seek to learn the teachings of this school will maintain throughout their training a firm resolution to correctly transmit to later practitioners the forms of our school that former masters have handed down from ancient times to the present day, absolutely uncolored by personal philosophy and in no way altered. Some iaido schools, however, include kata performed in pairs. 20th Head of the Musō-jikiden Eishin-ryū School of Iaidō